CWI – Dual Credit Info

CWI DUAL CREDIT PROGRAM

What is dual credit?

Dual credit means that students can earn college and high school credits at the same time. Students will meet for classes at Compass, CWI, or at both campuses. This is an optional program for students.

How much will it cost?

By participating in the dual credit program students will get a discounted tuition of $65 per credit. A 3 credit course will cost $195, a 4 credit course will cost $260, and a 5 credit course will cost $325. For example, a qualified student taking 9 credits for a semester would pay $585 in tuition at CWI. This is much cheaper than the cost per credit when enrolled in college after high school graduation. 9 credits at BSU would be $2,151 a semester ($239 per credit).

What classes will be available?

 

How many credits can a student take? Can they get their Associate’s Degree?

If the student decides to take all of the options available for CWI credit courses then as a Junior the student would be able to complete 42(28 Compass + 14 CWI) credits as well as 32 (18 Compass + 14 CWI) credits their Senior year, therefore obtaining a total of 74 credits.

To achieve an Associate’s Degree, it would require 64-70 credits of specific required courses. To accomplish this within the two years a student would have to take all of the courses available to take as dual credit at Compass and CWI (above) in addition to other specified courses. This is a great academic load that not every student is able to accomplish successfully. Plus, if the student wants to get their Bachelor’s degree, they might be taking courses for the Associate’s that they do not need for their Bachelor’s resulting in extra cost and time. If a student is interested in this option, talk to the school of choice as well as an academic advisor before attempting it.

Can my student take courses during the summer?

Yes, students are able to take courses during the summer such as Science or an Elective. However, they cannot take any core classes (English, history, and math) during the summer.

How can I pay for the tuition?

Students are not able to apply for financial aid. A requirement for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is that the student needs to have completed high school. However, there are opportunities for scholarships through CWI and Compass.

What is required to participate in the CWI dual credit program?

The first requirement, which is set by Compass, is that the student needs to have a 3.0 GPA by the end of their sophomore year (and every new semester as a junior and senior). If the academic requirement has been met then the student needs to submit an evaluation form. A committee will look at the student’s character, industry, achievement, sociability, leadership, professionalism, responsibility, maturity, and self-advocacy for approval of participation. If the student is approved to participate in the dual credit program then they need to submit a registration form, a residency form, and a privacy release form (gives CWI permission to work with the parent in regards to a student’s records), and a high school transcript.

• At least a 3.0 GPA
  
• Committee approval
• Registration packet
• High school transcript

Why does my student have to get approval before they can participate in the dual credit program?

Student participation in the dual credit program is a privilege. We want to make sure that we are setting them up for success in the college environment as well as for college level education. We don’t want to send the student out into the college world if they are not yet ready to do so successfully.

Research has shown that it takes more than academic success for a student to be ready for a dual credit program (Peters & Mann, 2009; Speroni, 2011; Kleiner & Lewis, 2005) . Other factors that contribute to dual credit success are:

• Tenacity, perseverance, resilience, and motivation (Zimmermann, 2012)
• Leadership, interpersonal skills, social responsibility and citizenship, adaptability and life skills, ethics and integrity, problem-solving skills, understanding the weight of one’s decisions, and self-control (Sommerfield, 2011)
• Time-management, ability to apply oneself and focus on a goal, self-advocacy, and self-concept (Byrd & MacDonald, 2005)

Therefore, we look at the student’s character, industry, achievement, sociability, leadership, professionalism, responsibility, maturity, and their advocacy. If a student is denied approval to participate, they are welcome to submit another evaluation the next semester. The CWI’s Dual Credit Program website states:

“Some students who are academically ready may find the independence and the rate of college classes overwhelming, so it is up to you to decide whether your child is prepared for the demands of college-level coursework. As a college student, he or she will be expected to be responsible for his or her education. This includes, but is not limited to, attending class, meeting class expectations and deadlines, asking questions, seeking academic help, and addressing any problems directly with his or her instructors. It is not appropriate for you to contact faculty on behalf of your son or daughter.”

What if my student doesn’t qualify the first semester?

If a student doesn’t qualify for the first semester, then they are able to reapply for the second semester. If they aren’t able to take English Composition 101, they can test out of it and will be able to register for English Composition 102.

What is the process of registering?

There are two separate processes in registering for CWI courses, one is for the courses taken at CWI and the other is for courses taken at Compass. There are separate deadlines for each.

CWI CAMPUS COURSES:

1. Fill out the Dual Credit Registration, Residency, and Privacy Forms.
2. Get the registration form signed by Mr. Jacob or Mrs. Nagy.
3. Complete the CWI Dual Credit Scholarship and/or the Compass John Fearey Scholarship application.
4. Turn in the forms along with an unofficial high school transcript to the Dual Credit Office, #107 (main CWI campus).

COMPASS COURSES:

1. Complete the Dual Credit Registration, Residency, and Privacy Forms.
2. Fill in the information for the classes you plan to pay for credit.

3. Complete the CWI Dual Credit Scholarship and/or the John Fearey Compass Scholarship application.
4. Turn the forms into Mrs. Nagy.

Who will be paying for the textbooks?

Compass will pay for the textbooks needed for the classes taken on Compass campus (English, Literature, History, Biology, Pre-Calculus, and Calculus). If the student is taking courses on CWI campus then the student is responsible for purchasing the textbooks needed for the class.

How will my student get to the CWI campus?

The students will have to provide their own means of transportation at this time. There are opportunities for carpooling since there are some students who will be able to drive. If this will be an issue, please let us know.

What are the benefits for participating in the program?

There are many other benefits of the program besides saving money. Students will also be able to use the resources that CWI offers their college students such as the library, computer lab, writing lab, and study groups. Also, by the time the student graduates from Compass, they will have had the opportunity to complete their freshman year of college. This means they will be able to enter their college career as a sophomore and in some cases close to junior standing. The experience of college courses will also help them in their transition into a full-time college education. They will have already adjusted to the academic requirements and expectations of a college environment. Studies have shown that students who participate in dual credit programs have higher participation rates in college, earn a higher first year GPA, and persist towards a second year of college (Office of Institutional Research, Oregon University System, 2010).

Will the CWI credits transfer to another university?

The credits will transfer to any Idaho institution because CWI is accredited through the College of Southern Idaho. If the school is a private institution, please check with the admissions office of that school to see if the credits transfer. Please read the response to this question by Susan Johnson (previous CWI Dual Credit Director):

“CWI credits will transfer to institutions with regional accreditation, so they transfer within Idaho to: North Idaho, UofI, LCSC, BSU, College of Idaho, NNU, CSI, ISU, EITC, BYU Idaho. They may not transfer to Steven Henager, Apollo College, etc., because their accreditation is not regional—it’s through another source. Credits should also transfer to most institutions out of state that accept transfer credits from any regionally accredited institution; however, there are some exceptions. For instance, Whitman College only accepts dual credit for courses taken on a college campus, so students need to check the transfer policy of any out-of-state institution.”

Will courses transfer as the equivalent?

“Courses will transfer as their equivalent, so English Composition I will transfer as English Composition I if the institution has that course. If an institution does not have a similar course then the course would transfer as an elective. For example, CWI does not have a course in World History so that course would not meet a specific degree requirement for a student transferring the course, but it can count as an elective. Many (probably most) professional technical courses do not transfer–even as electives.” – Susan Johnson (previous CWI Dual Credit Director)CWI Dual Credit Website
Scholarship Links
College Prep Information

References

Byrd, K.L., & MacDonald, G. (2005). Defining college readiness from the inside out: First-generation college student perspective. Community College Review, 33(1), 22-37.

Peters, S.J., & Mann, R. L. (2009). Getting ahead: Current secondary and postsecondary acceleration options for high-ability students in Indiana. Journal of Advanced Academics, 20(4), 630-657.

Sommerfield, A. (2011). Recasting non-cognitive factors in college readiness as what they truly are: Non-academic factors. Journal of College Admissions, 213, 18-22.

Speroni, C. (2011). High school dual enrollment programs: Are we fast-tracking students too fast? Institute of Education Sciences. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, D.C.: National Center for Postsecondary Research.

Kleiner, B., & Lewis, L. (2005). Dual enrollment of high school students at postsecondary institutions: 2002-03. (NCES 2005-008). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, D.C.: National Center for Education Statistics.

Zimmermann, S. (2012). Double-dipping for course credit. Kappan Magazine, 93(6), 38-41.